Lazarus' love
by TartanPhoenix
Summary: He was a fallen man. But, a girl, miles away and years too young, became his salvation, his resurrection.


Disclaimer: I don't own anything. All the characters herein belong to J.K. Rowling.

Rating: T+/M for adult situations.

Enjoy!

His entire body burned with the strain as he struggled to his feet, stumbling over the rubble around him. The building had been beautiful once, bits of plaster and statuary showing just how well crafted it had been. But, it was now only burning ruins. Only a piece of one wall remained standing and glass covered almost every surface. He could feel the blood running down the side of his face, chest, leg. The battle had been short, but fierce, and he was weakening as he leaned against the remains of a pillar and stared across the room.

Grindelwald smirked and held his wand lightly between his fingers, taunting the bloody man. "The great Albus Dumbledore, savior, protector, fool. You should have listened to me, old friend. " He took a step forward, moving to the left as his right eye was swollen shut. "Where are your precious muggles now? Where are they when their great protector needs them most?"

Albus ignored the taunting, and shot a hex from the tip of his wand, breathing heavily from the effort. Grindelwald blocked it easily, a boom shaking the walls as the spell connected with his shield. What was left of the single wall fell around them in a hail of plaster powder and bits of cherub. He wasn't in much better shape than Albus, but the small difference was all he needed. "Now, Albus, that wasn't very sporting. Oh well, always to the point, weren't you? All right. Say hello to your sister for me."

With that, a flash of red sped toward Albus. He tried to move, to avoid it, but he was too tired and far too slow. Pain seared through him as his chest broke open, the skin splitting wide and the bone cracked through. His knees shook and gave way, his body falling backward to the ground. The glass and stone crunched under him, but he felt none of it. He managed to lift his head slightly to survey the damage, and for one sickening moment, he was forced to watch his own heart beat. He choked on the dust the floated around him as his head flopped back, simply incapable of understanding what he had seen.

The roof above them was long since gone, and the stars twinkled down on him. With every feeble beat of his heart the pain waned while his robes struggled to hold the blood flowing onto them. He was feeling light-headed as he stared into the dark night. The sky was the deepest black with stars clearer than he had ever seen and a moon brighter than he could remember. He almost laughed as his life flashed before his eyes, the cliché almost too much at such a moment.

His parents, brother, sister flew by, Ariana's laugh ringing in his ears. He became sleepy and cold as Hogwarts settled in his mind. His colleagues and students, past and present, filled his thoughts. The stars shone down, and a blanket of black swept over his mind. A soft, shimmering black that curled at the edges and fluttered in the wind. A pair of green eyes and pale skin emerged and haunted him, and it was her lilting voice that soothed him. He struggled in those last moments.

The young woman was his responsibility to protect, to care for. His heart slowed and ached as her eyes sparkled and her smile flashed. His breath came shallow and rattled in his chest. She was his student; his heart began to slow. She was his responsibility; a dribble of blood ran from his lips. She was his friend; his hand slipped to his side, landing in the dust. She was his Minerva; his body grew cold as his heart ceased its struggle. She was "My love." It slipped passed his lips with his last breath. He smelled her perfume, heard her voice; he never heard the taunts or the laughter of his murderer. His eyes slid closed, and he didn't see the other man's smile.

Only a moment passed, and all was still. There was a flash, a blinding heat, and unbelievable pain as his heart jolted and breath forced itself into his lungs. His bones fused and hardened. His skin and sinews knitted themselves back together, sealing and healing, and blood rushed through his veins. The cry of his opponent was lost as he screamed, his body again whole and hearty, arching at the agony of it. His eyes shot open, and Grindelwald backed away from their unearthly glow.

Albus rose, his limbs heavy but thrumming,. He looked down and could see the pool of blood, his blood, forming around his feet as it fell from his robes in sheets. The power surged through him in a way he had never experienced; his very soul tingled with it. He caught a whiff of heather and a faint voice in the wind. His wand raised, his wrist flicked, and Gindelwald stepped back.

"Good bye, Gellert." With that, it was over.

Gellert Grindelwald ceased to exist in a flash of blue light and thunderous silence. Albus blinked and swayed on his feet. His limbs became heavy when the brief blast of energy failed him as Albus fell to his knees. Closing his eyes, he let his mind go blank and wished only to be where his heart would take him. There was a pressure, and a thud; the air around him changed and cleared.

The room was warm as he landed on the hearthrug in a heap. His eyes opened, only slightly, at the crackle of a fire and the smell of heather that filled his nose; he would know that smell anywhere. He had made it back to Hogwarts, to her. He found himself eye to eye with a pair of pained emerald eyes. She was curled up beside him on the floor, knees to chin, tears streaming down her face, and her chest heaving while she clutched at her heart through her thin nightgown. His own heart gave an answering thud, and her named slipped past his lips. It took the last ounce of his strength to reach out and wrap his arm around her, pulling himself around her before darkness overtook him.


End file.
